Kate's Vacation From HellOr Is It?
by Tony DiNozzo Freak
Summary: You're basic TonyKate moment...just a little bit more. LOL


TITLE: Kate's Vacation From Hell…Or is it?  
AUTHOR: Tiffany Flowers

CATEGORY: Kate/Todd hinted romance, post ep fic and missing scene.

SPOILERS: An Eye For An Eye and See No Evil, but if there are others, please tell me so I can note them.

FEEDBACK: Welcome, but not necessary.

SUMMARY: What happens in a steamed up car?

AGE RATING: Okay, using the new rating system I borrowed from an SG-1 site is hereby rated: A – Adults Only! (Basically...NC17)

DISCLAIMERS: We all know whom they belong to, I'm just borrowing them and I will give them back in one happy piece. I own only the story idea. I made no money from this story and did not sell it. I made it for entertainment purposes only. Please don't sue me? Looks innocently at TPTB.

AUTHOR'S NOTES: This story idea came to me when Trisha and I were talking about a different show entirely. We were watching something on TV and I got an idea for this missing scene fic. I hope everyone likes it, it's my first NCIS fic, so be gentle.

Copyright 2005, TIFFANY FLOWERS

"This sucks, Tony," Kate Todd complained once again, wiping the windshield for the fifth time that night. "Turn up the damned heat!"

"And I told you," Anthony DiNozzo told her, his body reclined and his eyes closed. "Turning on the car would give away our position."

"You are such a child!" Kate groaned softly, looking over at him with the binoculars still in her hand against the windshield.

"Yeah, but you love it and you know it." Tony smiled, his eyes still shut.

"Grow up, DiNozzo." Kate fumed, turning back to keep an eye on the apartment they were supposed to be watching.

"Only if you _press_ together with me, Kate," Tony said, stressing the word press. "It's the only possible way of staying warm."

"Like I said, DiNozzo," Kate said, turning to smile at him. "Not enough liquor in the world would make me do that with you."

"Ah, you know you want to, Kate." Tony smiled in return, opening one eye to look at her. Kate's brown hair whipped around as her brown eyes narrowed into a glare to look at him in disgust; Tony's green eye that was open twinkled in the limited light coming from the sidewalk, but it was enough to light the inside of the car.

"Not even if you were the last man on Earth, Tony," Kate sighed, placing her elbow on the middle armrest. "You are so immature that you make McGee look like an angel."

Placing a hand over his heart, Tony feigned hurt and insult. "Damn, Kate! That hurts."

"Then get over it, DiNozzo," Kate replied, turning back to her surveillance. "I'm not going to get…what's the word? Busy…with you. Not **ever**, Tony."

"Yeah," Tony drawled sleepily, even though he was wide awake. "You say that now, Caitlin, but give it a few days. You'll change your mind. I know you will. Mark my words. You'll change your mind."

"Keep dreaming, Tony." Kate responded.

"Only if you're in my dreams, Kate." Tony smiled widely, chuckling as well.

"Uhgg!" Kate groaned again, this time not from the cold.

**PARAGUAY  
****THREE DAYS LATER**

"They found us a hotel." Kate told Tony, shutting off her satellite phone, her eyes meeting Tony's. She could have sworn that his eyes flickered with a hint of mischief and a touch of something else that she couldn't quite put her finger on, but she got the deep impression that she wasn't going to like it—but then again, who knows?

After haggling with Iggy for who knew how long, Kate and Tony finally decided to go to the hotel to shower and change for the evening. Little did they know about the surprise that was about to shock the hell out of them once they got there.

Opening the door, Tony looked back at Kate and grinned, his eyes dancing in the sunlight that remained in the outdoor hallway to their hotel room. Kate just groaned and wiped at her forehead to dispel the wet drops that threatened to fall down her face, but which fell down her neck and along her spine; add Tony's smile that was directed towards her and it made her shiver from the inside out.

"I just can't wait to get in and shower," Kate responded, trying to shove past Tony. "This heat is just killing me. I'm sweating more than I would during the summers in Virginia. This is just too much."

"Wanna share that shower, Kate?" Tony smirked, his eyes growing brighter.

"Wanna have my foot shoved up your ass, Tony?" Kate replied with a sarcastic smile that made her eyes glow the same as Tony's.

"Yeeeaaaah…uh, no." Tony responded, getting an icy glare that dared him to say yes.

"Good," Kate replied, shoving him out of the way. "I get the bed closest to the window…and the shower first. Get it? Got it? I didn't think so."

Standing in the main part of the room, Kate dropped her bag on the floor at her feet, her mouth hanging open in shock. Tony, not knowing what was wrong, walked in and right into her back.

"Kate, if you're going to make sudden stops like that, warn people first." Tony joked, putting his hands out and onto her back to stop his forward momentum; he had dropped his bag as well to stop himself.

"No," Kate uttered the single word with horror. "No, this can't be happening!"

"What can't be…" Tony stopped when he realized the direness of the situation. "Oh, _hell_ no! NO! NO! NO! NO!"

"Right there with ya, DiNozzo." Kate said, still in complete and utter shock.

"Are you sure Gibbs and McGee got us a double?" Tony said, looking at just the one bed that was in the other room.

"When I talked to McGee, he didn't mention anything about doubles or singles. Just that they got us a hotel room." Kate informed him, her expression still lingering.

Looking at Kate, who looked at him at the same time, Tony grinned and started rushing for the bed at the exact same moment that Kate had started for it, pushing him back so he wouldn't use his long legs to his advantage, while Tony pulled her back so he could have the advantage.

"I don't think so, DiNozzo!" Kate shouted, trying to push him backwards.

"Yeah, bet I get there first, Todd!" Tony replied, pulling on her arm again gently, yet enough to get the lead.

Having had enough of the tug-of-war match with Tony, Kate decided to get down and dirty by tackling him behind the knees so that he couldn't get to the bed. Tony shouted out in surprise as he went down onto the rundown shag carpeting, trying to claw his way towards the bed; Kate had gotten up as soon as she could so that she could get the upper hand on him and get her goal.

"Oh, I don't think so, Katie!" Tony challenged, grabbing her right ankle and pulling her own legs out from under her, making Tony climb over her to try and reach the bed. He tried to move as fast as he could with limited room to maneuver and not enough power in his already weakened legs.

"Not on my watch, DiNozzo." Kate answered back, grabbing him by the belt and pulling him down so that she could wrestle him in and control who got to the bed first. She grabbed him around the waist once she had a hold of his belt and rolled so that she was over him and was able to get up.

As Kate tried to get up to follow through with her plan, she felt Tony's arms around her waist as she had rolled, making her stop and look at him; brown eyes meeting green in a way that would even make Gibbs blush if he was around. Her hands were now on his chest, having moved them so they wouldn't be crushed under his back, as she continued to look at him heatedly.

"Tony," Kate tried to say, trying to keep her voice from cracking with the sudden fire that burned in her gut. "I _will_ get that bed. Even if I have to gouge out your eyeballs and knee you in the groin to get it. That bed _will_ be mine."

"Over my dead…body?" Tony asked, his eyebrows furrowing when he realized that she would make it come true.

"Only if you insist, Tony." Kate smiled slyly, making Tony even more nervous.

"No. That's okay. The bed is yours." Tony said in surrender, wanting his life more than the bed.

"Glad you see it my way," Kate smiled, standing up and smiling victoriously over him, her brown eyes twinkling in the fading light. "If you're nice, you _might_ get the shower with warm water after I'm done."

"Hey," Tony protested, getting up and staring the few inches down at her, his eyes burrowing into hers. "That's not fair. You get the bed _and_ the shower first. I can't allow that, Agent Todd."

"Oh? And why's that?" Kate responded, turning to face him, mere inches from his solid, athletic frame.

"Because I'm senior agent and I say I get the shower first," Tony replied, putting his hands on his hips. "Unless you really want to take me up on my earlier offer, Kate."

"You really do want to either have my foot shoved up your ass or to die a painful death, don't you, DiNozzo?" Kate threatened again, her smile this time soft and warm.

"No, I just want to save on water. Water conservation is a good thing to be conscious about, Kate." Tony informed her with a smirk. "Besides, I would have thought you were one of those kinds of people that cared about our Mother Earth."

"Oh cut the crap, Tony!" Kate laughed, still standing so close to him. "You are not one to talk about caring about Mother Earth when you eat the crap you do on a daily basis. My God I'm surprised you haven't had a coronary yet."

"No, not yet," Tony answered, stepping just a little closer to her, closing the distance. "But I would give Gibbs about another few months with Probie around before he has one, either on site or in the bullpen."

"Tony!" Kate said in shock that he would say that. "That's not a nice thing to say. Even _if_ Gibbs deserves it at times. Still, that's mean. Say you're sorry."

"Why? Because it's the truth?" Tony asked, watching her take one more step closer to her. "Kate, he's about ready to blow and you know it."

"Tony," Kate said, reaching up for his ears and twisting them. "You had better say it. Now…say…you…are…sorry."

"Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow! Kate! OW! EARS!" Tony shouted as he went to his knees in agony, while Kate kept twisting his ears.

"I'll let go once you say you're sorry for bad mouthing Gibbs like that." Kate told him, keeping a tight hold on his ears.

"OKAY! I'M SORRY! LET GO!" Tony nearly screamed, the pain becoming unbearable, even for him.

"You are so…" Kate started to say, but stopped so that she wouldn't be giving into him and his childish behavior.

"What? Immature?" Tony asked, rubbing his sore, red ears. "Thanks. Back at ya."

"I am not immature!" Kate declared, her icy glare firing back at him.

"Oh, and I guess twisting my ears isn't immature and a little sadistic?" Tony asked, still rubbing his ears.

"Fine," Kate sighed, fatigue and tiredness settling in. "I'm sorry, Tony. I hope I didn't hurt you too bad. Let me see."

"No, I'm fine," Tony said, walking closer to her so she could look. "Just a bruised and battered ego and feelings."

"I'm sure you'll get over it," Kate retorted, grabbing his face gently with her hands to pull his head down to look at his ears. "They'll just be red for a few hours. Geez, Tony, you're such a baby sometimes. Even McGee didn't whine this bad when I had grabbed his ears when he was under my desk."

"He doesn't like you like…" Tony stopped short, glancing into her eyes.

"Like me like what, Tony?" Kate asked softly, her eyes never leaving his.

"Nothing," Tony breathed, his breath brushing her cheeks. "I…I…"

"Spill, DiNozzo," Kate whispered in return. "I know you were going to say something about me and McGee."

"Not about McGee," Tony answered, lifting his left hand to brush her face with his thumb over her cheek. "You, Kate. McGee doesn't like you like I do."

"Glad to know," Kate smiled, trying to keep her eyes open at Tony's touch. "I don't think of McGee like I think of you."

"And how's that, Kate?" Tony asked her, pulling her closer to him, his eyes never leaving hers as he kept brushing her cheek with his thumb.

"Aside from annoying, egocentric, and chauvinistic?" Kate asked, being honest with her assessment, all the time keeping eye contact with the man that was turning her insides for a loop and making her incredibly nervous.

"Yeah, besides all that." Tony answered, swallowing enough for Kate's eyes to drop to his bobbing Adam's Apple and then to trail up to his lips and then back to his eyes; Kate's stomach was in knots just from looking at his lips.

"You're making me nervous, DiNozzo," Kate swallowed herself, licking her lips in nervous habit. "I'm trying to figure out if you're just going to stand there or kiss me."

"Do you want me to?" Tony whispered, touching the tip of his nose to hers. "Kiss you, that is, Kate. 'Cause I can do that."

"Tony…you have my gut in…" Kate sighed, trying to fill her lungs.

"In what? Nervous twists?" Tony asked, knowing that he felt it too.

"Yeah," Kate said, unconsciously pushing into his embrace a little more. "And it's got me off my game. I don't like being off my game, Tony."

"Then let's start a new game," Tony breathed, taking in the slight vanilla scent that was in the air between them. "Or end one, however you want to look at it."

"No games, Tony," Kate responded, getting closer to his lips that she could almost reach out and touch them with her own. "I'm so tired of games."

"Me too, Kate," Tony returned, reaching that extra, scant millimeters to her lips, brushing hers lightly as he was about to kiss her. "Tired of the games."

"So stop playing, DiNozzo, and kiss me already." Kate replied, her lips brushing his so much so that she thought she'd die inside if they didn't connect soon.

"If you want it, Agent Todd." Tony grinned.

"You better, or you die, DiNozzo." Kate playfully threatened with a small grin.

That was all the permission that Tony needed to lean in just a fraction of a millimeter and touch his lips to hers, his hands pulling on her to pull her as close to his body as he could get her, while her hands found his hair and she laced her fingers into his hair and then back down to his neck. He could feel his heart pounding wildly as he continued to kiss her like he had dreamed of doing during all of the times he was passed out at his desk back at NCIS and he could feel her respond to his kiss without regrets or reservations.

Kate wrapped her arms around Tony's neck and stood on her toes just a touch more as if asking him to make the kiss even more serious and passionate; a request he easily filled and trailed his tongue along her bottom lip before it dove into her mouth to duel with her own, their breathing becoming heavy and urgent as their noses compensated for what their mouths could not, by trying to fill their lungs.

Pulling back, Tony could hear her small whimper because of the loss of his lips on hers so that he could fill his oxygen deprived lungs. He rested his forehead on hers and left his eyes closed, hoping that he wasn't dreaming again; Kate did the same, her hands on either side of his neck and her thumbs were caressing his cheeks.

Standing straighter, Kate opened her eyes and looked at Tony, whose eyes had turned a darker shade of green. She ran a thumb over his reddened lips and he kissed the pad of it and smiled at her, making her smile back at him. This was the first time that she had given in to the hormonal side of her brain, effectively silencing the smarter half. She had enjoyed the feel of Tony's arms around her, his lips on hers, the smell of him in her nose and now her memory.

"Kate Todd," Tony panted softly, his forehead going back down onto hers, their eyes still locked on the other in a staring competition of some kind between them. "You _are_ full of surprises."

"Well, I got one more for you, DiNozzo," Kate said back huskily, her eyes still full of passion from the kiss as she stared at him with her dark eyes, which made him stare back at her just as long; he was still awaiting to hear about this apparent surprise that she still had tucked up her sleeve against him. "We're going to conserve water. Let's go."

Not believing his ears, Tony just stood there staring at her. He didn't move until he felt a tug on his shirt, pulling him towards the bathroom and Kate doing the pulling. His body—currently hormone driven—disobediently followed, even though the logical part of his brain said that this was an extremely bad idea; that Gibbs would gut him any way that a Marine could with his background, and feed him his guts, but he followed her into the room, nonetheless.

Kate closed the door behind them and turned back to Tony, her hands gripping his shirt as if she wanted to rip it off of him. She leaned in and consumed his lips again in a hungry kiss, as if she hadn't seen him in days, her tongue pushing past his lips and teeth to taste the sweetness of the candy that he had been eating before coming to the hotel. She pushed his body against the door, pinning him there with hers as her lips crushed against his and then down his neck and over the top of his bared shoulder.

Tony couldn't help but put his hands on her hips and pull her closer, his lips doing the same to her, but coming to a barrier at her shoulder. He gently pushed her back and slid his hands along her sides and pushed her shirt up and over her head, dropping it onto the floor when he was done. She stood before him in her white, lace bra and her slacks and then she kicked off her shoes and started removing Tony's shirt as well.

Kate slid her hands up his chest, the hair on his chest tickled her palms and she looked at him with heavy-lidded eyes, the desire she felt reflected in her brown depths. Tony's eyes showed the same desire to be with her as his lips met hers again, while his hands ran slowly up her back and under the clasp of her bra, his fingers almost clawing her back when she began sucking on one of his earlobes; his eyes shut tightly at the sensations his body was going through at the torture of her kisses.

Tony slid his hands down to her hips, running the backs of his hands across the flesh of her stomach and then reached down to unfasten the button and slide the zipper open, and then pushed the two parts open wider to slide his hands around her hips under her slacks and pull her closer. Kate's hands followed the same procedure and then up his back the best she could, being that he was still against the door.

Tony pushed her back, taking his back off the door, and pushed her slacks over her hips to puddle at her feet and she stepped out of them, pushing them aside with her foot. Kate could feel his lips against the side of her neck, trailing upwards towards her ear, and taking the lobe into his mouth and sucking on it like she had his. As he kissed her neck and ear, his tongue lightly followed the path that his lips had taken along her neck as his hands ran along her skin, heating it with a fire that Kate didn't think the two of them should have even considered creating.

She thought about all the ramifications too quickly to create an argument in her head, being that Tony's teeth began nipping at her neck and collarbone. She tried to keep her brain thinking logically and stationary in reality, but what Tony was doing to her senses now was beyond all logic and reality. She just hoped that Tony knew what he was doing to her, if he didn't know it already.

Kate and Tony's breathing patterns had become erratic and heavy, the feelings they were evoking on each other's senses becoming out of control. Kate ran her hands down to Tony's hips again and pushed his jeans down, her fingers feeling the heat emitting from his skin and it drove her desire for him closer to insanity. She heard the clinking of his belt as it hit the floor and felt his legs working to free themselves of the material, while Tony's lips found hers again and his hands ensnared in her long hair, pulling her face closer to his.

After a few minutes, Tony hesitantly pulled back and looked at her with desire-filled green eyes and heated flesh. He glanced down at her hands, which were on his hips and then back up at her and tried not to grin.

"Hang on," Tony panted heavily. "I think I've hit a snag."

"No," Kate argued huskily. "No snags allowed, DiNozzo."

"This is a resolvable snag. Just one minute." Tony knelt down and removed his hiking boots and socks, kicking his jeans over to where Kate's slacks now resided and picked up where he left off, capturing her lips in a hard, crushing kiss; a kiss Tony never thought he'd use on a co-worker like Kate.

Tony let his hands roam over her skin, finding the clasp to her bra and undoing it with experienced ease and talent, and then let his fingers lightly pull the shoulder straps down her shoulders and off her arms; he tossed it to the pile that added up in the corner. He let his lips roam as well, down her neck and over her shoulders, just under her throat, but not anywhere near her breasts. He could feel Kate's hands on his shoulders, her fingers running up and down his neck as he sweetly tortured her skin.

Kate's head tilted back as Tony began kissing her stomach, trying to breathe deeply enough to keep from hyperventilating and passing out before they could even do anything remotely resembling sex. She laced her fingers in Tony's hair again, letting his lips caress her flesh in ways she never thought she'd let him do. She gasped when she felt his fingers grip the elastic band of her underwear and pull them off, leaving him the only one with any piece of clothing left on.

As Tony stood up, Kate took advantage of the opportunity to strip him of the boxers that he was wearing, leaving them both bare in front of the other; neither were judging and just kept touching and kissing each other, the need becoming almost unbearable for them and making them look at each other with a hunger that neither of them had considered for the other. They knew that if this touchy-feely, 'I kiss you more passionately, I'll kiss you more passionately', game continued, one—or possibly both of them—would be in some serious trouble. And the last thing they wanted was to actually ruin the moment by ending it, but Kate couldn't stand the thought of not having his lips on hers or anywhere on her body and it drove her nuts to know what he was doing to her motor functions and the ability to thing properly.

Kate reached over and turned on the water before the need of the shower became a moot point and unnecessary. She tested the temperature to make sure it wasn't too hot, but not cold enough to make them sober up and realize how hormonal they were acting, the hormones being a pain in the ass and all. She felt Tony's hands on her back, sliding up and over her shoulders and then turning her around to face him.

Tony leaned in to kiss her and then picked her up and placed her in the tub, and then closed the curtain as he pushed her under the water with his lips on hers; the gushing water flowed over them, drenching them as they kept their lips in constant contact. He ran his hands from her face, pushing her soaked hair back away from her face and then let his arms surround her, while her arms went around his neck. He tried to keep his attention on the kiss alone, trying not to rush her into something they might both regret. He valued their friendship and didn't want to push her so that that friendship was either shattered or obliterated altogether. He wanted her, it was true, but he wasn't going to have her feel like she was pushed. He knew that their flirty behavior would possibly lead to a moment like this, but he didn't know that it was going to be this soon, otherwise he would have planned it better and made it more romantic than Paraguay.

Kate was enjoying the moment of being close to him, in his arms and about to cross a line that she promised herself that she would never cross again. She pushed her body against his, making him step backwards out of the water; he turned so that her back would be against the tile wall. She was about to pull back to tell him that she wanted him, but there was a sound in the other room that made her brain kick back into normalcy and back on the job at hand.

"Tony," Kate panted, pushing back hesitantly. "Is that the sat phone?"

"No," Tony replied. "You're hearing things. That's not the sat phone. It's not."

"Tony, c'mon. I think it was." Kate tried to reason, pushing him back further.

"Noooo!" Tony groaned, placing his head on the sidewall as Kate got out and wrapped up in a towel to go answer the interruption.

"I'll be right back," Kate smiled. "Just one sec, Tony."

"I knew I should have shut it off." Tony grumbled as Kate left the bathroom.

"Kate Todd." Kate said into the phone. How she was able to have a normal sounding voice, she couldn't figure out.

"Hey, Kate!" Abby Scuito's chipper voice sounded over the phone line. "How's the hotel? Crappy or nice?"

"Hey, Abbs…" Kate said in surprise, hoping that the huskiness was not existent in her voice. "What's up, Abby?"

"I just wanted to touch base with you since Gibbs was hogging all the phone time with you and Tony. Where is Tony?" Abby asked as the sounds of loud heavy rock music was turned down several more notches than before.

"Uh…" Kate started to stammer, hoping that her nervousness wasn't inflicted in her tone. "He's, uh…um…in the shower."

"Kate," Abby replied, sounding suddenly serious. "Are you okay? You sound like someone's trying to strangle you or something."

"Uh, no. Just tired, I guess." Kate lied, holding in a mental breath.

"Uh-huh," Abby answered. "Tell me another one. I know you too well, remember?"

"He is!" Kate defended, taking the phone to the bathroom door and opening it so that Abby could hear the shower running, and then quickly closed it before Tony could say anything to her about who was on the phone. "See? I told you."

"What are you doing while he's all sexy, wet and naked?" Abby asked, a smile in the tone of her voice and Kate could hear the insinuation in it.

"I'm waiting patiently for DiNozzo to get out so I can shower, if you _must_ know, Abby!" Kate tried to act like she hadn't just been in the shower with said sexy, wet and naked DiNozzo that she was thinking of right then.

"Yeeeeah! You want him! You want to soap him up and you know it, Kate!" Abby teased, making Kate blush; it was as if Abby was reading Kate's thoughts through the phone line and into her ear.

"ABBY! I DO NOT!" Kate shouted defensively into the phone.

"Then why so defensive and avoiding? Kate, you can tell me. We're not being listened in on. Trust me." Abby told her, trying to get more info from Kate.

"You don't know that, Abbs. And besides, I do not think of Tony like that. Of all the…" Kate stopped before she truly admitted to Abby what had happened.

"Well, if I were you," Abby started to advise. "I'd take advantage of the time you've got before Gibbs calls you and tells you you're coming home."

"Gee, thanks, Abbs." Kate said, glaring at the phone.

"See you when you get back," Abby said. "Hope to get juicy details when you get back, Kate. Until then, I'll be waiting with baited breath…as Ducky would say."

"Good-bye, ABBY!" Kate nearly growled and disconnected the line, shutting the phone off to prevent further interruptions.

"Who was that?" Tony asked once Kate returned to the shower, which was now running cold.

"Abby, of all people." Kate told him, her glare still on her face.

"I'm going to hurt her when I get home." Tony smiled, walking up to her with a towel wrapped around his waist; Kate had the towel that she had grabbed secured around her, covering what Tony had been torturing before the rude phone call.

"Until then, Tony, let's just use the time we've got before Gibbs calls us home," Kate smiled seductively, almost quoting Abby's words. "I think she's got worse timing than Gibbs…or even Ducky, for that matter. She needs to learn how to time her phone calls when people are doing important things. Man, she's been around Gibbs too long."

Stepping closer to her, Tony ran his hands down her arms and stopped when his hands found the back of her hips and he pulled her close to him, his lips finding hers again hungrily. Kate put her arms around his neck again, her fingers toying with the hair at the base of his head lightly, while his hands ran up her back and into her hair as fair payment for touching his and making him shiver at her touch.

Kate started walking backwards into the room and once she had found the bed with the backs of her knees, she felt one of Tony's hands leave her back and brace itself on the bed as he held her with the other and pushed her backwards even more onto the bed. She complied and kept the contact of their bodies and lips, her thoughts becoming less than existent as he began arousing her again.

Tony carefully rolled onto his back once he got her onto the bed and put his hands on either side of her face, leaving his fingers in her hair that now dangled over her shoulders and behind his forearms, the tickling sensation making him even hotter for her than in the shower moments before. He could feel her hands in his hair on either side as her tongue danced with his sensually, making him move his hands down to her hips once again.

Kate pushed herself up enough to pull the corner of the towel out of itself and open it so that Tony could kiss her chest and feel her need for him to just kiss her, even if it didn't lead to them coming together in a locking of hips manner. She felt him roll them again so that she was on her back and then she could feel his hands push the towel open further and off the front of her torso; he shifted to one side and removed his towel.

"Kate," Tony tried to breathe again, looking down at her. "I don't want to rush you. Tell me to stop and I will."

"You stop now, DiNozzo and I think we're _both_ going to have problems." Kate offered, pleased to know that he was trying to give her a way out of this situation, but she wanted to get this—and Tony—out of her system one way or another.

"Just making sure, Kate," Tony responded, running his right thumb over her right cheek. "Because once we do this, we can't take it back. Not that I would want to. And I'm not being a smart-ass right now, either."

"I know," Kate told him, touching his face gingerly. "I appreciate the easy out you're offering, but I don't want it. I need to get this out of my system or it's going to drive me insane. I want you to do this, Tony."

"You want to get me out of your system, don't you?" Tony asked, looking almost hurt by the underscored accusation. "You just …You want to use me to have a good time while Gibbs isn't looking, don't you?"

Kate looked hurt in return at his own accusation towards her and she thought she might begin crying right then, but she pushed back the urge to show him her tears and just looked at him with sincerity.

"No, not at all, Tony," Kate tried to defend. "Look, I figure if I do this, I'll know whether or not I want to be with you. You have no idea how hard it's been to fend you off when you're flirting with me like you do. I want to be sure that you want me and I want you. I don't mean to hurt you or your feelings. I just…I just want to be absolutely sure about us, Tony. I didn't mean to offend you. I'm sorry."

"Okay," Tony smiled warmly. "I just didn't want you to think you had to. But I don't want to hurt you, either. And I _won't_ kiss and tell about this, Kate. You have my word. And I won't consider you another DiNozzo conquest. Kate, if I'm going to do this with you, I'm going do it as a sincere, trustworthy relationship."

"What about that 'C' word that you can't seem to get through your brain?" Kate smiled jokingly.

"Kate," Tony answered, brushing back her hair lightly with his right hand. "If you want to try and have a committed—yes, I said it—relationship with you, I'm all for it. I'm just not sure how to tell Gibbs. Or even if we should."

"One step at a time, right?" Kate questioned, her nerves suddenly on edge at the mention of their boss's name.

"Right," Tony agreed, his hand still caressing her hair back away from her face. "Now…where were we?"

"Right about here, DiNozzo." Kate responded, pulling down on his neck just hard enough for their lips to meet in a crushing kiss as Tony's bottom lip slid open against her lips to pull her bottom lip inside of his mouth just enough to kiss her deeply.

Kate ran her hands down his arms and then back up, only to have her fingers trail along his spine and down to the curve of his backside and then back up as Tony's hands did wandering of their own over her body. Kate pulled out of the kiss and tilted her head back when one of Tony's hands cupped one of her breasts and his thumb lightly ran over the tiny hill that had emerged at his touch, causing her to gasp at the sensation he brought up in the pit of her stomach and throughout the rest of her. She bent her right leg and placed her foot on the inside of his left thigh, and then changed her mind and began running her foot lightly over his leg.

The sensations in Tony's leg made him change tactics and bring the breast that he had been teasing into his mouth and delicately began running his tongue over the nipple and around the area that his mouth surrounded, making her sigh in pleasure as he continued on to the other one, giving it equal attention; all the while, Kate's foot kept gingerly running along Tony's leg in a sensual and arousing way as his kisses trailed back over her chest and back up to her lips, their tongues dueling again with more heat and passion than ever before. Tony wasn't sure how much more of this he was going to be able to handle, or if she could handle any more of the blessed torture.

Shifting into a position that left their stomachs, hips and legs in constant contact, Tony looked down at Kate and noticed that her chest was rising and falling in a fast in and out breaths as she tried to calm her respiration. She looked back at him confused, the question in her eyes as he got up and walked back to the bathroom; the sound of his belt jingling made her evermore curious as to what was wrong, but she smiled when he came back into the room and showed her what he had gone in there for.

"Let's not be stupid about this, huh?" Tony said, returning to her the way he had left her, handing her the small package.

"For once, DiNozzo, you're using the correct brain." Kate teased, smiling at him as she opened it and put it on him.

"That's mean, Kate." Tony replied, smiling back at her and then closed his eyes as her hands moved over him in a sensual and slow way.

"Mm, touchy aren't we, DiNozzo?" Kate smiled and then captured his lips again.

"You have no idea, Caitlin." Tony replied as he leaned down and kissed her back, his hips moving to be in the right place when it was time, but he knew that at this precise moment, it wasn't it. He trailed his hands over her again as he picked where he had left off, letting the heat between them drive him closer to his own insanity.

Kate watched him as he slowly moved his hips just enough to make her gasp, their eyes locked on the other until he slid inside of her and the feeling made her close her eyes and arch her back slightly at the new sensations he was about to assault her with. She placed her hands on the back of his shoulders and let her fingers cover the tops of them as he began moving against her, putting her into a rhythm that would soon become rushed and heated even more as the tension between them became even more intense.

Tony slid his right hand down the side of her body and then in between their bodies to find the sensitive nub of flesh that would surly drive her over the edge along with him as she moved and bucked at his touch. He slowly rubbed it, but just enough to get her close, and then put his hand back in her hair as their hips slammed together in the heat of the moment, each thrust becoming just as violent as the one before it.

Kate tried to keep her eyes open and locked on his to show him that she was with him in every way imaginable, but as the imaginary rubber band got twisted tighter, she couldn't help but let her eyes slide shut and the explosive fireworks behind her eyes explode with each powerful thrust of Tony's hips against hers, the pressure of his organ filling her in such a way that he hit her in the right spot to make her want to scream out his name, but she sensed that he wasn't even close to breaking with her.

She wrapped her legs around his waist, hoping that by locking her ankles behind his back, it would create the leverage he needed to reach his climax sooner before she had her orgasm first. She tried to stall herself by thinking about an ice cold bath, her thudding heart actually slowing down only slightly.

When she opened her eyes, Tony was watching her, a knowing grin on his face as he leaned down and kissed her thoroughly, letting her know that it was okay; his eyes telling her that he was getting closer just as his hips slammed into hers once more and her nub was tenderly caressed by his right hand again, his fingers slowly—yet urgently—rubbed against it as his pace picked up and he moved faster. As he quickened his pace, he could almost sense the urgency she was putting out by the way her fingers dug into his shoulders and the heels of her feet dug into his sides.

"Ahh, Kate," Tony panted, moving even faster, as if his own urgency need sedation. "Caitlin, oh, Kate!"

"Tony!" Kate gasped loudly, her fingernails digging into the flesh of his shoulders deeply. "Oh, God! Tony! Please!"

"Kate! Oh! Kate!" Tony nearly shouted, pushing himself, and Kate too, to the precipice's edge of complete and utter sedation of bodies, souls and togetherness in more ways than one than either one of them had imagined.

"Tony!" Kate screamed into the room, her voice literally the catalyst for Tony's push over the edge with her as she tightened around him; inside and out.

"Kate!" Tony grunted into the air and then completely covered her mouth with his, pushing what air he had left in his lungs into hers.

After a few seconds of complete and sated bliss, Tony rolled onto his back and pulled Kate to his side, his left hand running along her spine in a feathery touch, his right hand resting on her waist; Kate's left hand resting on his chest as her right hand rested on the forearm of his right arm. She sighed contentedly at the same time as Tony, all the while she wished they could do it again.

If she concentrated hard enough, Kate could feel how perfectly he fit with her, both on the inside and on the outside. She had been searching for someone like him for years and had never been this lucky. She never thought she'd find someone like Tony, even with his self-centered ego and smart-assed attitude. She looked at him with a new respect that she hadn't had before, a respect that she hoped would reflect in her eyes when he looked at her; they must have because of the way Tony was looking at her now.

"I don't regret it, Kate," He said, pulling back the strand of hair that had somehow stayed clung to the left side of her face; his fingers danced lightly across her cheek as he moved it off of her face and behind her ear. "I don't regret a single moment of what just happened between us."

"The question now, Tony," Kate responded, shifting her head enough to really look at him, bracing her weight on her right arm, while her left hand remained on his chest just over his beating heart. "Do we tell Gibbs and be open about us? Or do we keep it a secret for as long as possible and try to separate personal from professional?"

Tony gave it some serious thought and then looked at her, putting the strand that he had just put behind her ear back after it had fallen free. "I say, for right now, we keep it guarded and quiet. I'm sure we're both…adult enough to do that."

"Are you sure about that, DiNozzo?" Kate teased, unable to restrain herself.

"Yes, I'm sure," Tony glared, but couldn't hold it. "I'm not _that_ juvenile, Kate."

"Just making sure before we do this." Kate smiled, tracing his lips with her thumb again; the feel of them under her skin was like running her fingers over velour, it was soft and silky, yet warm and inviting.

His lips were so warm and inviting that she gave into the urge to kiss him and just followed her instincts to do just that. When she was a hair's breath away from his lips, she moved her fingers and let her tongue follow the same path her fingers had taken as her eyes fluttered shut and she pushed against his lips tenderly. She moved her body over his, placing her hands on either side of his face and deepened the kiss, putting all of who she was into the simple gesture.

Tony had his hands on her hips as he guided her body to lay over his perfectly. Every thought that had been going through his mind evaporated as soon as their lips met again and her body aligned with his; the only thought in his mind now was to treat her the way she deserved to be treated, which was totally and completely focused on her and nothing—and no one—else. Because, come hell or high water, Tony DiNozzo was going to make her understand how much he loved her.

Wait! Did he just think that? Were they really getting that far? Tony mentally shook himself and pulled out of the kiss to see the confused look on Kate's face when he looked up at her. The chocolate brown of her eyes almost looked scared, the fear asking if she was doing something wrong or if she should stop, but all he could do was look at her and try to quickly figure out where that thought had come from.

Kate's perplexed expression didn't vanish when his green eyes suddenly became scared as well. The more fear that entered his gaze on her, the more she became afraid that he had changed his mind and he suddenly regretted making love to her. She trusted him with her life, knew he had her back when they got into trouble or trouble found them out on a site. She had grown to become his friend, even care for him as a really close friend—heck, she was even thinking now about how quickly she had fallen in love with him over the course of the last several months.

'Oh, God!' her mind screamed as she stared at him. 'Did I really just think that? What am I thinking? _Love_ DiNozzo? That's insane! Tony is immature, rude, sexist, egotistical, a male chauvinist and just downright annoying!'

Somehow, her mind was telling her, she had truly fallen for him. She could feel it as she looked at him now; he was looking at her with the same scared emotion that she was feeling. Her heart began to pound wildly as she began to seriously think that she could even love Tony DiNozzo. But, would he feel the same? She just didn't know what to do or think at this point, but she knew she had to ask the question or express what she was feeling before it killed her inside.

"Tony, I…" Kate started to say.

"Kate, I…." Tony said at the same exact time, both of them chuckling lightly when they realized what they had done.

"You first, Tony." Kate replied, moving to lay on her side and prop her head on her right hand to look down at him.

"Oh, uh…ladies first, Kate." He responded with a grin and turned onto his side to mirror her posture, a blanket somehow covering them up over their hips and leaving their torsos free to be touched and heated, but neither of them did any such thing; Kate's serious expression told Tony that there was something important to be said.

Sighing, Kate knew she had no other option other than to just come out and admit what she was thinking and feeling. She took in another breath, her fear keeping her from actually voicing it to him, and then let it out slowly as she looked back up at him from looking at their free hands that had entwined themselves together.

"Tony, I don't know how you feel right now, but…" Kate paused and then continued. "I just need you to know that, I know in the past I wasn't the most open and emotional person towards you. For that, I'm sorry. But what I want you to know right here, right now is that…whew, I thought I could say this."

"Kate, you can." Tony said softly, running the back of his fingers against her cheek, and then ran his thumb over her lips just enough to get her to continue.

"I just…I wanted you to know that I…" Kate swallowed her words, but then found them again, deciding to just say it and quit pussyfooting around. "I love you, Tony DiNozzo. I hope you understand that I had to say it now, before I lost the nerve."

"Kate," Tony whispered, his lips brushing the side of her face, his lips finding hers and then he pulled back just as quickly. "I was just about to tell you that I love you, too."

"You do?" His reply seemed to have shocked her into a stunned take back. Now she wasn't sure of anything. DiNozzo was actually admitting to her that he had actual and true feelings for her. And he was serious, not joking or leading her on. He had deep down, good old-fashioned feelings for her.

"Yeah, I do," Tony smiled, kissing the tip of her nose lightly. "I have for a while. All teasing and flirting aside, Kate, you're special to me. You are probably the most important thing in my life right now."

"You mean, next to your family, right?" Kate answered, touching the side of his face with the heartfelt emotion that sprang into her eyes, the tears finally flowing freely as she showed Tony how truly she loved him, hoping that it wouldn't scare him away now that she had gotten so close to him in just the last few hours.

"My family comes in second," Tony explained to her, wiping away her tears. "You have been in number one since the day you came to NCIS. And that's not going to change for anything in the world. I promise you that, Caitlin Todd."

"Tony DiNozzo, if I didn't think so, I'd swear you were in deep trouble." Kate whispered, unable to keep the gentle sobbing from her voice.

"Kate," Tony told her. "I've been in trouble since the day we met."

"I love you, Tony." Kate said, her tone sounding absolutely sure about the words she had just uttered in admission.

"I love you, Kate." Tony returned, kissing her as his hands found her hair once again and he deepened the kiss to show her how much he meant his words; Kate followed his lead and began moving with him as if she were destined to move body and soul and hadn't known it until about two hours ago.

**NCIS HEADQUARTERS BULLPEN  
****FOUR DAYS LATER  
****0900 HOURS EST**

They reported to work as if nothing had happened four days ago. They showed up separately after spending the two days that Gibbs had allowed them to relax, together; they had spent the entire two days together doing nothing but caressing, teasing and making each other moan and groan in ecstasy and unadulterated passion. Tony had made parts of Kate's anatomy sing, hum and sense in ways no other man had before and she had returned the favor without hesitation or reservation.

Sitting down at her desk, Kate turned on the desk lamp to see a card on her desk in Tony's familiar handwriting waiting for her arrival. She picked it up just as Gibbs came around the corner from the elevator, ready to open it, but paused when she noticed that Gibbs wasn't walking past her desk to his own.

"Can I help you, Gibbs?" Kate asked, her eyebrows raised in question.

"Hmm." Gibbs replied before moving off to get his desk ready for the workday ahead of them. Who knew what the events of that day would bring to them?

"Heh." Kate laughed, glad to be alone with her card; she opened it to read it.

'My dearest friend Kate,

I'm glad for our time spent 'getting to know each other' on our so-called vacation. I wouldn't change the events that led to our 'vacation' for all the compliments from Gibbs in the world. I am even glad that we had two extra days to learn more about the other. I hope that we are still friends after all the bickering on the trip and over the past couple of years. I give you my word that I will try and be nicer to you…and McGee. I guess, I'll see you around the bullpen.

Your dearest friend,

Tony DiNozzo – NCIS'

Kate closed the card with a huge smile on her face, her cheeks lighting up her eyes as well. She sighed softly, remembering the events of their two-day tryst once they got back to Virginia. They had spent them at Tony's place, never leaving his bed unless they were hungry or nature called.

She could remember, and at times feel, the way his hands had coursed over her body in the slow, seductive manner that she had quickly accustomed herself and her senses to; a touch that she didn't think she would ever forget anytime soon. At least, she hoped not anyway; she had her eyes closed and was remembering every little touch, kiss, tongue trail and lick that Tony had done to her.

"Todd! Hey! Earth to Kate!" Tony's voice suddenly cut through her thoughts and memories, causing her eyes to flash open quickly and look around at the worried glances on the faces around her.

Standing around her desk were Ducky, Abby, McGee, Tony and Gibbs; they were all looking at her as if she had banged her head on something. She looked at Tony, whose eyes were trying to tell her that her face was a flushed pink and getting redder, which made her suddenly remember where she was and that those kinds of thoughts weren't welcomed around there.

"Kate, are you feeling okay?" Abby asked, her expression taut. "You look like you're about to puke or have an incredibly huge…"

"Thank you, Abby!" Tony quickly cut in, preventing Abby from saying what she was about to say out loud to everyone.

"What? She does!" Abby defended, holding up her hands in resignation and backed off, standing closer to Gibbs.

"I do believe that Caitlin was having…" Ducky began to elaborate on Abby's observation.

"Thank you, Ducky. I think we all get it now." Gibbs replied with a sly smirk.

"Oh, God," Kate moaned into her hands in humiliation, but then picked her head up to look at each of them. "I am _so_ sorry. I…I…"

"As long as you and DiNozzo had a nice vacation, Kate," Gibbs said, turning around to go back to his desk to work. "Everyone! Back to work! Now!"

"Yes, Boss!" Tony and McGee chorus, while Abby and Kate replied with, "Yes, Gibbs." Ducky merely replied with a 'Yes, Jethro.' Abby and Ducky returned to their dungeons, while Tony, Kate and McGee went back to work at each of their desks, turning on desk lamps, computer brains and computer monitors.

Looking across the walkway to Tony, Kate caught his eye and smiled at him. He smiled back and mouthed, 'I love you' at her, while she smiled bigger and chanced at glance at Gibbs' desk before returning her attention to Tony. She bit her bottom lip and then touched the tips of her fingers to her lips and blew a kiss in Tony's direction, which, as she watched, he pretended to catch and hold close to his heart.

At that moment, a chime sounded on both Tony's and Kate's computers and they both looked at the monitors, which had an instant message to the both of them from Gibbs' side of the room.

'Get back to work and quit making kiss-y faces at each other! Gibbs'

Kate and Tony both hid their smirks as they went back to work. Every once in a while, Tony or Kate would look up at each other and grin, keeping a careful lookout for the wrath of Gibbs; they weren't sure if he had had his morning cup of coffee, but they weren't going to take any chances.

"Excuse me," A voice interrupted about half an hour later, making everyone look up from their paperwork or other job-related tasks. "Where can I find a Kate Todd?"

"Uh, that would be me," Kate said in a curious tone of voice. "What can I do for you? Is there something I can do to help you?"

"Yeah," The man in a pair of Dickies and a blue t-shirt with a logo on it said. "You can tell me where you want these."

As Kate, Tony, McGee and Gibbs stood up, they noticed that there were three men carrying a set of a dozen roses each. One set was red, another was white and the other was pink, making Kate gasp in surprise.

"Oh, my…" Kate tried to breathe, her eyes wide and her jaw practically on the floor. "Who? What? When?"

"Anonymous, roses; three dozens and earlier this morning." The deliveryman answered, having his helpers put them on her desk, which hid her from everyone else's view as she tried to figure out who might have sent them.

"Who are they from, Kate?" Timothy McGee asked from his desk, and then he walked out from behind his desk to help her find a card.

"I don't know, McGee," Kate said in complete shock. "I…I don't even know who might have sent them. I know it's not going to be my parents. They never do anything this nice for me."

"No card, Kate?" Tony asked from another side of the roses, almost close to her ear as she bent over to try and find a card in another dozen.

"Not that I can find, DiNozzo," Kate playfully snapped, trying to keep the new step in their relationship away from the office. "You wouldn't know about this…would _you_, Anthony DiNozzo?"

"Ooh, not after calling me that, will you get any info from me." Tony grinned, trying to keep up the teasing behavior that everyone was used to from them.

"DiNozzo…" Gibbs' stern voice said from behind Tony's back.

"Yeah, Boss," Tony winced, not understanding when the older gentleman might have snuck up behind him. "What's up?"

"Honesty, for one," Gibbs answered, smacking Tony on the back of the head and making him grimace in pain before walking to face him. "Are you the one that did this? If I don't hear the right answer, I have another hand willing to hit you. Or, I could do a double smack on you, DiNozzo."

"Yes, Boss," Tony gulped loudly, the sound almost hollow in his ears. "I, uh, that is…It's actually a funny story."

"DiNozzo…" Gibbs threatened, his other hand raised up in the air.

"Okay, okay!" Tony flinched, protecting his head with his hands.

"Tony?" Kate asked, her eyes sparkling with what she hoped would soon become adoration for his thoughtfulness.

"Yes, it was me. I bought them and had them delivered here at this time. This trip gave me time to think about how badly I've treated Kate. I thought I might bury the old hatchet and send a peace offering." Tony explained, glancing at Gibbs' hand, hoping that he wasn't about to smack him one.

"Is that it?" Gibbs interrogated with his famous interrogation glare, making Tony's resolve quickly dissolve.

"Uh…" Tony suddenly panicked, looking quickly at Kate and then back at Gibbs, whose eyebrow was raised in expected answer. "Not that I care to…share at this moment, Boss. Maybe later?"

"Maybe not?" Gibbs' hand raised again, making Tony duck.

"Because I love her!" Tony spat out before he knew the words had left his brain and mouth, his eyes wide when he finally realized it. "Crap."

"Good," Gibbs replied as he lowered his hand and walked away, pushing McGee back to his desk as well. "Just don't get things mixed up, DiNozzo."

"Yes, Boss." Tony replied, looking utterly confused and then looked at Kate who was shocked at what he blurted out, but happy to know that the roses were from him and that he loved her as much as she loved him.

"Gibbs, may I have a minute with Tony?" Kate asked, glancing at their boss.

"Not long. We have work that needs to get done." Gibbs said, not looking up from his workstation or his paperwork.

"Thanks, Gibbs," Kate smiled, grabbing Tony's hand and pulling him with her to an empty break room where she knew no cameras would be and no listening devices. "You think you're so slick, don't you, DiNozzo?"

"I would like to think so, Kate." Tony smiled, pulling her close to him and keeping his arms around her waist as she wrapped her arms around his neck. She took that opportunity to pull him down and kiss his lips, just like she had wanted to do all morning since she had woken up in his arms hours before.

"Have I told you how much I love you this morning, Tony DiNozzo?" Kate smiled after she pulled away from his lips hesitantly.

"Not since about, oh, seven-thirty this morning." Tony smiled, his thumbs brushing her cheeks tenderly. He leaned down and captured her lips once more, trailing his tongue over her bottom lip; she wanted more and so did he, she could tell.

"Later, DiNozzo," Kate answered, feeling the loss of warmth that his body was emitting. "We're still at work."

"I know," Tony grinned, leaning in close again, just mere inches from her lips. "But I want to give you something that will drive you completely insane all day long until the time we're back at my place, in each other's arms and making love to each other."

"And what would that be, Agent DiNozzo?" Kate challenged, the look in her eyes darkening at the seduction in his voice.

"Mm, how about this?" Tony asked, kissing her as deeply as he could, sliding his hand down her right side and to the edge of her skirt and then pulled it up to feel the silky, nylon-ed thigh that she was hiding from him.

"Tony…" Kate breathed out in a pleasured sigh as Tony's hand ran along the front of her thigh and up the inside of her left one, the trail of his hand continuing up until he found the target he was looking for and gently rubbed the nub that had, on so many occasions, made her moan, groan and scream in heated passion.

"Mm, Kate," Tony moaned softly into her ear. "I love you."

"I love you, Tony." Kate answered in return, her hands on the top of his shoulders.

Pulling back, Tony looked at her with a sheepish grin on his face. "I guess I'll see you around the office and later tonight at home." And with that, he walked out of the room, leaving a very frustrated Kate alone, but he paused at the door to turn to gauge her expression.

"DiNozzo," Kate started to say. "You had better hope to God that you _do not_ have a serious death wish. Because as of now, you're on my shit list, pal! You better hope that we meet at your place at the same time."

"Count on it, Baby!" Tony grinned and then walked out.

Shaking her head in indignation as she readjusted her skirt to normalcy, Kate watched him saunter out of the room and go back to work, leaving her more sexually frustrated than she had been in in a long time. She thought, with a smile, that she had to go on vacation more often with one, Italian Anthony DiNozzo.

**THE END…?**


End file.
